It is proposed to take Nos. 2, 4, 5, 6 and 1. It is also proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that (1) No. 2 shall be decided without debate and (2) the following arrangements shall apply in relation to Nos. 5 and 6: (i) the opening statement of a Minister or Minister of State and the main spokespersons for the Fianna Fáil Party and the Progressive Democrats shall not exceed 30 minutes in each case, (ii) the statement of each other Member called upon shall not exceed 20 minutes in each case, (iii) Members may share time and (iv) a Minister or Minister of State shall be called upon to make a statement in reply not exceeding 15 minutes in each case. Private Members' Business shall be No. 20.
Order of Business.
Is it agreed that No. 2 shall be taken without debate? Agreed. Are the proposals for dealing with Nos. 5 and 6, statements, agreed? Agreed.
I wish to make reference to what Deputy O'Donoghue said. It is a matter of grave concern that this House was misled on two occasions last week. Perhaps the Minister will clarify if this was intentional or otherwise during Private Members' Business tonight. It is a matter of grave concern that, on the question of whether Mr. O'Leary travelled to the United States, who attended the various meetings about the Horgan's Quay site and whether the Garda report had been completed — we now understand there was both a preliminary and a final report——
We cannot proceed any further with this matter now.
I accept that, but for the information of the House — this matter is of immense importance — will the Taoiseach indicate what happened at the meeting of the board of CIE and what the reaction of the worker directors was?
We are pre-empting the business scheduled for later today.
Is it a fact that the board of CIE has met and stated that the decision of the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications on this matter was incorrect?
On the matter of whether the House was misled, will the Minister for Justice avail of the opportunity to set the record straight in relation to remarks now disputed by the trial judge in a cruelty to animals case?
That is not appropriate to the Order of Business.
I put down a special notice question which was ruled out of order.
A grave matter which created a precedent in the history of the State was raised. Will the Chair relax the rules slightly to allow the Taoiseach comment on this?
I do not propose to deal with that now. We had a debate on it last week and will have another tonight.
I would appreciate if the Taoiseach would make a comment. If not, will the Minister come in or send in one of her minions?
The Deputy is looking for reflexology.
Will the Taoiseach ask the Minister for Enterprise and Employment to intervene directly in the Liebert case which is a serious matter? It will guarantee, together with the action taken by the Minister for Transport. Energy and Communications, Deputy Lowry, that there will be more unemployment in Cork.
In view of the appalling behaviour of the Minister last week and the abuse of the privilege which we witnessed in the House, including the setting aside of natural justice and the fact that certain individuals were named in the House. I ask the Taoiseach if the Government——
We are not going down that road, Deputy.
On promised legislation——
Please adhere to the ruling of the Chair.
——is the Government prepared to go ahead with the defamation Bill promised by the Minister for Equality and Law Reform?
Is that promised legislation?
It is.
The matter is under examination.
Does the Taoiseach accept that there is great urgency about the matter in view of the behaviour of the Government and Members of the House?
The Deputy is not good at this sort of thing.
In regard to Liebert, will the Taoiseach indicate the proposals he intends to bring forward to create the necessary projects in Cork and the jobs required given Fine Gael's role in destroying a very fine science and technology park in Cork?
The Deputy was very quiet for a long time.
There are very bad memories of Fine Gael in Cork. There was job loss after job loss. There is a political vendetta to destroy employment in Cork and Deputy Allen knows that. We are fed up with the Government's negative attitude. Fine Gael whinged in Opposition for ten years and in Government for one year——
(Interruptions.)
The Deputy found his voice.
Deputy Martin, resume your seat.
The Government should play a positive role now and do something better.
Who is the park for?
Deputy Allen offered a lot. We are awaiting for an alternative project now. We will see about your friends now. Will they produce the goods?
(Interruptions.)
Order please, or I will proceed to the business proper. I am calling Deputy Ahern and I ask Deputy Martin not to interrupt further.
I understand the Bill dealing with privilege and compellability will soon come before the Government. Does compellability refer to compelling people to appear before committees and the Dáil or does it compel people to answer questions put to them?
Truthfully.
This Bill will come before the Government shortly and we expect to be able to move forward with it after that. It is receiving priority attention. Obviously the most suitable occasion to ask questions about its contents is when it is introduced. I have no doubt that every question the Deputy wishes to pose will be answered.
If it is ever introduced.
In November 1994 the Taoiseach indicated that the procedures of the House should be changed to ensure that Ministers answer questions——
That does not arise now.
——and went as far as saying that the Ceann Comhairle should ask for the proper answers. In view of what happened last week will the Taoiseach give an indication when the legislation——
Order, please. I am calling Deputy Treacy.
That would have been of interest during the beef tribunal.
(Interruptions.)
The Taoiseach made many commitments last week.
I will quote the piece.
The Opposition did not answer too many questions about the beef tribunal.
Another broken promise.
On this day last week the Minister, Deputy Lowry, when answering questions read a letter from CIE. He said arrangements had been made to lodge it and accompanying documentation in the Library but they have not been lodged. Why have they not been lodged and when will they be lodged? The Minister said he had made arrangements to lodge them.
Another misleading of the Dáil.
As of 20 minutes ago——
This is an absolute disgrace. The Minister gave a commitment to the House. Will he honour the commitment?
I agree it is a disgrace, so let us have no more of it.
I am glad that word was used about that behaviour. When will the long promised White Paper on Foreign Affairs be published? It was promised for the summer, for September and October. Now the word is it will be later. When will it be published? Is the Government so wrapped up in attacks on the staff and directors of semi-State bodies that it is incapable of doing any other business?
I wish to be as helpful as I can. This is not promised legislation but a White Paper which is not in the category of promised legislation and therefore is not a normal subject for questions on the Order of Business. I understand the preparatory work on it is at an advanced stage but the contents have not been circulated for consideration by the Government. I am not in a position to give an estimated time of publication.
Is the Government prepared to make time available to discuss the Garda report on the surveillance of the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications?
Did the Deputy find out who broke into my house?
It is a legitimate question and I would have thought the Taoiseach would answer it.
The Opposition have Private Members' Time available to them each week and can pick a subject for discussion in that time. If they wish to make a request for Government time to be provided in regard to any matter they can follow the normal procedure which is to approach the Whip. Deputy Dermot Allen is the Fianna Fáil Whip and he will be able to convey Fianna Fáil's request in the appropriate way.
That is beneath the Taoiseach.
In that context and in order to assist the debate will the Taoiseach make the Garda report available to Members?
Put it in the Library.
Was it given to the Minister?
On a point of order, in view of the matter raised by Deputy Treacy — I was in the House when it was last raised — will the Taoiseach honour the promise made on that occasion before 6 p.m. today?
That is not a point of order.
It is a point of order.
I have told the Deputy it is not a point of order. We are departing from an orderly Order of Business. I used the word "disgrace" earlier in relation to the disorderly Order of Business and nothing else.
The Chair has the function of seeking to protect all our interests.
The Chair does not need to be reminded of that.
I am aware of that and I am not mentioning it for the purpose of reminding the Chair but to remind members of the Government who know it from their own experience. I am making a reasonable request. Will the Taoiseach undertake to make available in the Library that which was promised would be made available in the Library last week and if he will do so before 6 p.m. this evening, before Private Members' time? Is that reasonable?
I have no problem with it but it is not in order.
What is not in order?
Let us hear the response.
As I understand it, subject to the Chair's ruling on the matter, it is in order to ask questions about promised legislation. As far as any undertaking is given by Ministers in regard to lodging information——
We may as well go home.
——I will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that is fulfilled.
By 6 p.m.?
The matter raised by Deputies Noel Treacy and Cowen is not an isolated one. I was promised in the House last week by the Minister, Deputy Deenihan, that a certain document from which he read would be circulated to me and other Members on this side of the House, but we are still awaiting it. Will the Taoiseach ensure that document is circulated?
On behalf of friends and acquaintances, not only in my constituency but throughout the country, I ask the Taoiseach when the equal status legislation will be brought before the House.
That legislation is under active examination.
It is on the back burner.
Did the Taoiseach say "re-examination"?
I expect that legislation which is currently in drafting will be available next year.